


The Only Game in Town

by Elizabeth Culmer (edenfalling)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anger, Angst, Character Study, Fifteen Minute Fic, Gen, Post - Order of the Phoenix, Resentment, Strained Friendships, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-03-16
Updated: 2004-03-16
Packaged: 2018-02-21 11:17:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2466302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edenfalling/pseuds/Elizabeth%20Culmer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione and Ron treat the world as if it's fundamentally fair, as if there are rules to play by and a goal to win.  Harry isn't playing games anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Only Game in Town

**Author's Note:**

> This ficlet was inspired by the 3/14/04 [15minuteficlets](http://15minuteficlets.livejournal.com) word #46. (I am aware that Harry is not being fair to his friends. Anger has been known to affect people's perspective that way.)

Hermione and Ron treat life as a contest, as a game where the object is to earn the most points. They treat the world as if it's fundamentally fair. Harry wonders, sometimes, how they can still act that way.

Hermione wants to know the most, to be first in all her classes, to do things right. The rules of the game are laid out by the professors, with marks and house points as the scorecard. Her prize? Probably being Head Girl someday, and getting a job doing prestigious research after Hogwarts. She believes in the rules, believes in the way she's organized her game. She's certain her prize will be waiting at the end, and as a side-benefit? If she knows everything, she can help Harry win his game with Voldemort.

Ron wants to be known, to be recognized, to be admired. He's playing a game with his family, and the prize is to be more famous than any of his brothers. He doesn't consider Ginny a threat; he probably doesn't even consider her a fellow player. The crazy thing, though, is that he keeps following the moves his brothers have made before him instead of striking out on his own. He didn't learn anything from the Mirror of Erised; no, he's still trying to be a great Quidditch player and proud of his prefect badge. He doesn't care about the way he plays chess, or the way he'll face death just to stand by his friends. No, to him that's Harry's game.

Harry isn't playing games anymore. He used to think he was, that Hogwarts was like an obstacle course, but he knows better now. He can see the way people invent their games, invent their contests and rules. Maybe if he'd realized this years ago, he would have helped Ron and Hermione win their games, but now? Now Harry will settle for just keeping them alive.

They can win or lose on their own.


End file.
